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Failing Forward
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<blockquote data-quote="Umbran" data-source="post: 6775776" data-attributes="member: 177"><p>I generally like fail forward, though I'm not sure if you're describing what I'm used to considering "fail forward".</p><p></p><p>Specifically, "fail forward" is not, as I understand it, "Succeed, but at cost," as FATE games often put it. It is "Fail, but there is a pretty clear path to try something else." And, as such it isn't so much a mechanic, as a bit of advice for the GM to not have all progress in an adventure blocked by a failure.</p><p></p><p>For example - Say the PCs are exploring a tomb, hunting the BBEG, who is in his secret lair, behind a super-secret door. The players go through the dungeon, search for for secret doors, but they botch the roll, and fail to find it.</p><p></p><p>In "standard" play, this is basically a blocking issue. The PCs cannot continue forward unless they find that door. There's no clear path to moving forward. The PCs don't even really know where they failed, as they don't know for sure there was a door to begin with. All they know is they were told the BBEG was here, and they didn't find him. Oh, well...</p><p></p><p>In "fail forward" the PCs fail to find the secret door. Oops! So, shortly, a minion comes up from the area of the dungeon they have cleared, that should be empty. If they are smart enough to not kill the minion outright, the minion may be a source of information on where the BBEG is. The PCs still have a chance to find the enemy, even though they failed the basic way. Perhaps this will be a bit harder, or more complicated, as their guide is untrustworthy, or perhaps not.</p><p></p><p>In "succeed, but at cost," you find the door alright - just as the hairy troll steps out through it! In order to use that door, roll for initiative!</p><p></p><p>We might say that, "Succeed, but at cost" is one way to get a fail forward, but it is not the only way.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Umbran, post: 6775776, member: 177"] I generally like fail forward, though I'm not sure if you're describing what I'm used to considering "fail forward". Specifically, "fail forward" is not, as I understand it, "Succeed, but at cost," as FATE games often put it. It is "Fail, but there is a pretty clear path to try something else." And, as such it isn't so much a mechanic, as a bit of advice for the GM to not have all progress in an adventure blocked by a failure. For example - Say the PCs are exploring a tomb, hunting the BBEG, who is in his secret lair, behind a super-secret door. The players go through the dungeon, search for for secret doors, but they botch the roll, and fail to find it. In "standard" play, this is basically a blocking issue. The PCs cannot continue forward unless they find that door. There's no clear path to moving forward. The PCs don't even really know where they failed, as they don't know for sure there was a door to begin with. All they know is they were told the BBEG was here, and they didn't find him. Oh, well... In "fail forward" the PCs fail to find the secret door. Oops! So, shortly, a minion comes up from the area of the dungeon they have cleared, that should be empty. If they are smart enough to not kill the minion outright, the minion may be a source of information on where the BBEG is. The PCs still have a chance to find the enemy, even though they failed the basic way. Perhaps this will be a bit harder, or more complicated, as their guide is untrustworthy, or perhaps not. In "succeed, but at cost," you find the door alright - just as the hairy troll steps out through it! In order to use that door, roll for initiative! We might say that, "Succeed, but at cost" is one way to get a fail forward, but it is not the only way. [/QUOTE]
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